A
Boeing 737-800 bound for Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia's capital, was carrying eight crew
members and 82 passengers when it crashed
into the Mediterranean shortly after takeoff
from Beirut due to the stormy weather.

Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409 had lost
contact with the Beirut airport shortly
after takeoff at 2:37 am on January 25th
and crashed into the Mediterranean 2.5 miles
off the coastal town of Naameh, south of the
airport.

Rescuers found bodies, but no survivors
during a massive search operation launched
after the Ethiopian airliner with 90 people
on board burst into flames into the
Mediterranean Sea off Lebanon.

The pilot of the
Ethiopian Airlines
plane that crashed into the sea flew in the
opposite direction from the path recommended
by the control tower after taking off in
heavy thunderstorms from Beirut, Lebanon's
transportation minister said.

The transportation Minister said the pilot
initially followed the tower's guidance, but
then abruptly changed course and went in the
opposite direction. Officials want to know
why the plane veered off course after
takeoff, but have ruled out sabotage. It
was not immediately clear why the pilot
veered off the recommended path.

Lebanese officials ruled out "foul play" as
the cause of the crash and initially blamed
the weather. But aviation experts said bad
weather alone was unlikely to have been
enough to cause the crash and said a
technical fault might have caused the engine
to catch fire.

There were conflicting reports as to whether the jet exploded while
airborne or after it had hit the water.
Officials said the ferocious overnight storm
that blanketed the small country's mountains
with snow was likely a major factor.

Like most other airliners, the
Boeing 737
is equipped with its own onboard weather
radar, which the pilot may have used to
avoid flying into thunderheads rather than
following the flight tower's recommendation.

The
airline has experienced two fatal crashes
since 1980.
Ethiopian Airlines serves Europe as well as three other continents, for a total of 56 destinations.

If you, a family member, or a client have
been injured in a plane crash, you need the
help of an aviation attorney.

Do not accept the airline’s insurance
company’s settlement without speaking with
an attorney. Call The Sheena Law Firm TODAY
for a free consultation.